Packers GM Ted Thompson on safety play, injuries, drafting a QB

Green Bay — Hopefully you weren’t expecting a grandiose unveiling of the 2014 Green Bay Packers big board or, well, an opinion on much of anything draft-related at Ted Thompson’s annual pre-draft press conference. The team’s general manager is always tight-lipped before the NFL draft.

Yet Thompson did have a handful of interesting things to say at the podium Thursday. In addition to his optimism about Julius Peppers, he discussed injuries, safety play, "inside" information and more.

A few of the highlights from Lambeau Field...

--- No, Ted Thompson says he does not pay too much attention to which teams are reportedly interested in which players.

“Because they say the same thing about us,” Thompson said, “and I know for a fact that they don’t have any inside information because for the most part, sometimes I’m the only inside information. And I’m not telling anybody.”

Thompson understands that this time of year is particularly fun for fans — mock drafts have taken on a life of their own. Still, he says he never picks a player to “get a loud ovation from the fans; that’s poor thinking in my judgment.”

He also does not fill out a mock draft.

“No. You see things and different guys in the room have different jobs and we have guys that go through lists and what’s happening here and that sort of thing,” Thompson said, “but an official mock draft, no. That would drive me nuts.”

---Injuries will be in the spotlight all off-season. A year ago, coach Mike McCarthy and the Packers make a slew of changes to prevent injuries... and again Green Bay was riddled with injuries on both sides of the ball. So for McCarthy and Thompson, it's back to the drawing board.

Saying the team has “had some bad luck,” Thompson reiterated the Packers do conduct in-depth medical checks on draft prospects. That hasn't changed.

Hinting at one potential adjustment, Thompson indicated the Packers could “limit” players’ workload in training camp.

“I think it just happens,” Thompson said. “I’m sure it happens with every team, but we’ve had our share of injuries. We’re doing a lot of different kind of research and studies and working with our guys trying to find a better way and Mike is busy working on a schedule for training camp.

“He’s revising it some to reflect our desire to try to maybe limit our players a little bit."

--- Safety may be the No. 1 need on this team. The position netted zero interceptions and gave up too many long pass plays in 2013. Last year, the Packers didn’t draft a safety with any of their 11 selections. Faith in M.D. Jennings and Jerron McMillian backfired, and Morgan Burnett "wasn't good enough."

Asked what was missing at the position last season, Thompson only said “I just think we had a few too many bumps and bruises as we went along.”

In 2014, this certainly is an extremely valuable position. New Orleans and Seattle both doled out huge contracts to safeties this off-season. And the Seahawks might have set the new standard with Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor deep. As offenses spread out, and athletic tight ends multiply, the need for versatile, playmaking safeties is high.

“You need good safety play to be a good defense but you did 10 years ago or 20 years ago or whatever,” Thompson said. “I think it’s good to have that. It certainly gives you, as a defensive coordinator, more flexibility if you have more versatile-type guys. At the end of the day, you just try to take the best player.”

The G.M. would not get into any specifics about what the position demands in 2014, saying it’s the same thing a team looks for at any position — “Athletic traits, is he a good guy, that kind of thing.”

--- Mike McCarthy said at the NFL scouting combine that he’d prefer to have four quarterbacks on the roster. The Packers do return Matt Flynn and Scott Tolzien behind starter Aaron Rodgers, but certainly know the importance of quality depth at quarterback after last season’s rocky quarterback carousel.

Green Bay has shown interest in prospects leading up to the draft. Thompson was vague when asked if he'd add a fourth quarterback to the room.

“We kind of start buttoning it all up,” Thompson said, “at least in terms of theory during the draft itself and even a couple days before in terms of what would be ideal in terms of corners, what’s ideal in terms of safety, and that sort of thing. It just depends. Oftentimes, in theory, you’d like to have this and this and this but then you realize you need to carry extra at another position because of injury or something like that. So it never works out exactly like you think.”

--- The unpredictable is unavoidable. Chances are, Thompson and the Packers’ front office will be surprised at some point over the draft’s three days.

Saying that former Packers G.M. Ron Wolf “was marvelous” in “projecting leadership,” Thompson assured he must set a tone.

“You have to understand the chair you sit in,” Thompson said. “In terms of my chair, I’m the leader in there. I have to project a certain confidence and a certain understanding and a certain amount of wisdom to try to do the right thing and I pray every day that I have that wisdom.”

About Tyler Dunne

Tyler Dunne covers the Green Bay Packers. He has been on the beat since 2011, winning awards with the Pro Football Writers of America and Milwaukee Press Club.